WEDNESDAY, JULY 16

MUSIC—The mudflap country-rock of Natural Child is perfect for kickin' back, boozin', tokin', or whatever sort of trouble you feel like getting into. If your musical heart lies somewhere between the cow pastures and the punk-rock basement—but cowpunk never made a lick o' sense to you—this Nashville trio is exactly what you've been looking for. NL
w/the Abigails, Joel Magid; Mississippi Studios, 3939 N Mississippi, 9 pm, $10

MUSIC—Olympia's Elizabeth le Fey makes sui generis lo-fi folk under the name Globelamp, and it's full of nectar-like pleasure. The whimsical, mystic psychedelia on her album Star Dust teems with color and life and buzzing bees, and she plays the second of two back-to-back Portland shows tonight at the (World Famous) Kenton Club. NL
w/Jeremy Burton, Whorehound; Kenton Club, 2025 N Kilpatrick, 9 pm, FREE

THURSDAY, JULY 17

COMEDY—Comedian TJ Miller is one of the best parts of Mike Judge's great HBO series Silicon Valley—and he did an amazing job getting melted into molten lava in Michael Bay's Trans4mers: Dinopocalypse. This weekend he comes to Portland, both with his stand-up and to do a live taping of his podcast Cashing In. EH
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, comedy Thurs 8 pm, Fri-Sat 7:30 & 10 pm, $20-32; podcast taping Sat 4:20 pm, $15-20

BOOKS—Saucy literary org the Newer York has been producing their Literary Madhouse shows around the country for a while now, in New York and LA—and now they've finally deigned to bring their antics to Portland. The Literary Madhouse's innovative take on the stodgy book-event institution promises games, naked readings, videos, and "slideshow acts of all kinds." AH
Literary Arts, 925 SW Washington, 7 pm, FREE, 18+

FRIDAY, JULY 18

MUSIC/SPORTS—PDX Pop Now! is back with three days of free, all-ages local music from bands like Blouse and Hustle and Drone—though the best part of the experience is discovering something new. Plus! It's where the famous Rigsketball tournament will kick off, the best tour-van-meets-basketball-court in the world! MS
AudioCinema, 226 SE Madison, Fri 6 pm-1 am, Sat noon-1 am, Sun 11:45 am-midnight, FREE, all ages, pdxpopnow.com for schedule

JAZZ FESTIVAL—Maybe you love jazz! Maybe not! But it really doesn't matter as much you might think at the Cathedral Park Jazz Festival. It's still free and now in its 34th year, and it's one more chance to spend summer days and nights gazing up at this most iconic bridge, the St. Johns, and lazing about just feet from the Willamette River. DCT
Cathedral Park, under the St. Johns Bridge, Fri 5-10 pm, Sat noon-10 pm, Sun noon-7:40 pm, FREE, all ages

SATURDAY, JULY 19

OUTDOOR READINGS—Every summer, Tin House hosts a reading series at Reed College's amphitheater, featuring the top-notch writers who are in town for the Tin House Writer's Workshop. These outdoor readings are exceedingly pleasant. While we're particularly excited to see short story writer Wells Tower tonight, the whole week-long lineup is an embarrassment of lit-riches, featuring the likes of Anthony Doerr, Nick Flynn, and Jo Ann Beard. AH
Cerf Amphitheater at Reed College, 3203 SE Woodstock, readings Sun July 13-Sat July 19, 8 pm, $5, tinhouse.com/writers-workshop for schedule

BEER FEST—Are you ready to be slapped about the mouth with yummy drunkenness at Lagerfest? There'll be more than 50 different lagers to be quaffed at the second annual beer fest, all while basking on a sunny, spacious patio surrounded by pretty people. The outing promises soooo many light 'n' tasty lagers, from the likes of 10 Barrel, Base Camp, Gigantic, Pelican, and oodles of others. Go enjoy the summeriest of suds. CF
White Owl Social Club, 1305 SE 8th, Sat & Sun, 2-10 pm, FREE entry

MUSIC—Aside from their super-popular New Year's shows, it's been quite a while since the Adam Shearer-fronted Weinland—one of Portland's best bands—has gotten together to play original work. Tonight they are, and you shouldn't miss it! Seeing Weinland a few years ago in the barn at Pickathon is still one of my favorite shows ever. EH
w/Hook & Anchor, Peter Rainbeau; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $12

SUNDAY, JULY 20

MUSIC—Put together three keyboard-wielding ladies from Brooklyn, and you end up with the swoony, dreamy pop of Au Revoir Simone. (Note: This may not work with just any keyboard-wielding ladies from Brooklyn—as there are probably hundreds. Make sure you get the right three.) Last year's Move in Spectrums was Au Revoir Simone's smartest and sharpest work so far, and their live show is always a delight. NL
w/Dresses, the Lower 48; Doug Fir, 830 E Burnside, 9 pm, $14-16

OUTDOOR FILM—One of the joys of summertime livin' is watching great movies outdoors, under the stars. And the Northwest Film Center continues this tradition with Drive-In at Zidell Yards—parked conspicuously underneath the Ross Island Bridge. Tonight's pop gem is Stand by Me (1986), starring young Wil Wheaton, Corey Feldman, River Phoenix, and a very dead body. WSH
Zidell Yards, 3030 SW Moody, 9 pm, $8

MONDAY, JULY 21

READING—William T. Vollmann—an essayist and sometimes journalist famed for chronicling the mucky lives of soldiers, fanatics, and the poor—will also dip his toes into fiction. They never come out any cleaner. Get grimy with Vollmann at Powell's, where he'll be reading from his first fiction work in nine years, the supernatural short story collection Last Stories and Other Stories. DCT
Powell's, 1005 W Burnside, 7:30 pm, FREE

FILM—I haven't rewatched 1986's Flight of the Navigator, but I have fond memories of it from the days of Betamax. Like when David escaped the government facility that was going to perform tests on him after he went missing for eight years then came back unaged? Remember how rad Sarah Jessica Parker looked? And it was Pee-wee Herman's voice as the UFO! So cool, probably ridiculously dorky, and now beloved. CF
Academy Theater, 7818 SE Stark, see Film Times at portlandmercury.com/movietimes, $4

TUESDAY, JULY 22

COMEDY—After more than a month of side-splitting hilarity, the time has come for a winner to be crowned in the Portland's Funniest Person Contest at Helium. Local comedy stalwarts Gabe Dinger, (occasional Mercury columnist) Bri Pruett, Curtis Cook, Anthony Lopez, and many more have been fighting their way up through the preliminaries. Find out who wins tonight when the 12 finalists battle it out—and may the funniest person win! WSH
Helium Comedy Club, 1510 SE 9th, 8 pm, $20-27

MUSIC—When your father is the famed pioneer of Afrobeat, Fela Kuti, you've got two realistic choices: get out of the family business altogether, or double down. Happily, Seun Kuti picked the latter. Since the age of 14, Seun's been at the helm of his dad's former band, Egypt 80, and you couldn't ask for a better venue than the Star to witness what he's picked up over the last 17 years. DVH
w/Cascadia '10; Star Theater, 13 NW 6th, 9 pm, $20